Friday's Gratitude

“ If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life.”
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 – )

Take pen in hand and list ten things, large or small, you are grateful for today.

My list:

Good health
A warm house
My husband - who just brought me a vanilla latte!
My two daughters, their wonderful husbands and beautiful children
Close friends
Etc....

“Each day unfolds as a gift. We build daily on a solid foundation of appreciation. Comparing ourselves to ourselves alone, we track a gentle and steady improvement.” Julia Cameron

Photo credit: http://www.istockphoto.com/

Comments

Focus on Beauty

There will be days when we must force ourselves to focus. There are so many distractions, and it's easy to be pulled this way or that. And as we're pulled, it's easy to get more and more uptight. I've found one way to heighten one's focus throughout the day is to be aware of the sometimes-small details, and the beauty around us. I typically use my early morning walks to make myself look past the obvious and focus on the details. Examples: the morning sun streaming through the window and creating shadows across the room the richness of evening light a clear reflection of a building in a street puddle the colors of the sky, the clouds, etc. a mother walking hand in hand with her child Then in the evening, I write down five of the things that stood out to me during the day. Some days, my list may include more obvious objects of beauty. Other days, the list might include small glimpses of something in passing, sights I may have previously walked right on ...

The Benefits of Lemon

About six months ago, I started a new daily habit - first thing in the morning I drink a cup of warm water with a slice of fresh lemon in it. I'd heard rumors that this was supposed to be good for you, and because I wanted to cut back on my tea with cream and sugar habit, it seemed like a good fit. I'm kind of amazed to admit, I've noticed a big difference in how I feel. Instead of my normal somewhat sluggish/bloated feeling after my morning cup of tea - I now feel energized and ready to face the day. "Lighter" would probably be a good way to describe it... and lighter is always good! Below is a bit more information... Here are a few reasons for adding morning lemon water to your daily routine. *List originally published by the Edison Institute of Nutrition here As a rich source of vitamin C, lemon juice protects the body from Immune system deficiencies. Drinking lemon juice with warm water every morning helps in maintaining the pH balance...